Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Bad Day At the Office

A bloody and bruised hand gently caressed the wood surrounding the black and white photo. The bruises on Sou Wong’s hands had been caused by weeks and weeks of non-stop training with his weapon. His hands were the first casualty, with most of the skin scrubbed from his knuckles. The pain was constant, but he’d grown numb to it.

With candles lit on either side of the framed picture, he gave his deepest bow before wrapping dirty bandages around both of his fists. He bowed again, this time touching his forehead to the ground and holding the position for several minutes. He uttered small phrases of gratitude to the figure held inside of the frame.

He sat upright and continued to talk to the photo, “I will make you proud, great leader. I will not fail.”

Sou Wong lived alone. It was his abject loneliness that first caught the attention of the nation’s leader, Min Ong Jung, thus earning him the very important mission in the first place. Wong had no family, no friends, and no children to call his own. He had no one to judge him, no one to speak sense into him and no one to set his moral compass. Sou Wong was his own man, with his own thoughts and those thoughts were deeply troubled; tainted within his misplaced worship of North Korea’s leader.

A lifelong soldier, Wong was bred as a killer through his ruthless military training. In his mind, he was at war and his mission in Seoul was just another battle against an evil power. He stood on the step of righteousness, protecting his country from the influence of foreign entities who sought to destroy them, expose them, reveal their secrets. He was willing to give everything for his nation; his livelihood, his soul – his life. The divine mission for which he had been specifically chosen was his greatest honor. He was groomed by Min Ong Jung to believe that once the job was complete, he would become the most honored and treasured man in North Korea.

Life or death was irrelevant.

But Wong was not the only one who had been selected as part of the mission. There were a total of three men chosen for the operation in South Korea. Sou Wong did not know the other two men but their names were irrelevant. The only thing that mattered to him was their ability to do the job. He trusted North Korean President Min Ong Jung and he knew, without question, that the men the President had chosen were the best of the best.

The three men chosen for the mission had intentionally been kept apart and not allowed to speak. Each man had a post – a job – a responsibility and no two were the same. Each man had been meticulously drilled on execution of the plan, escape routes, timelines and synchronization. They had even been trained on how to commit suicide if captured. But they would not be captured. Wong was so confident in the preparation that he had no doubt the operation would be successful. Every single “t” was crossed and every single “i” was dotted. It was a plan that had been in the making for 2 long years, ever since Ahn Young-Hee had been elected President of South Korea. The plan was perfect.

In the corner of Sou’s rat infested, roach infested apartment sat over $100,000 U.S. worth of equipment that had been provided to him by the North Korean government. The finest scopes, AR-15’s, C-4 packets and protective equipment available had all been supplied to help him carry out his complicated task. The time had come for him to examine his equipment and get it all packed up for his trip across the DMZ.

He picked up the first long rifle Colt AR-15 and mounted the scope into place. Handling the heavy gun was as familiar as breathing. His years of sniper training allowed him to master the malfunction drills like clockwork, with no thought given. The gun was an extension of his own body. With two quick movements left and then right, thirty-one year old Wong gripped the pistol grip while pulling the heel of the gun into his chest. A quick peep through the objective lens revealed that he needed to adjust the windage turret by about 0.5 degrees. With his finger on the trigger, he focused on various small objects inside of his dark apartment to check that his scope was level. Within the cross hairs of his 10 mm scope, he immediately spotted two baby roaches through his open window. They were crawling up the outer wall of the adjacent apartment building across the alley. If he wanted to, he could have obliterated them, along with the entire wall. But his equipment was far too powerful and far too important to use for playing around with bugs. His skills were honed for killing the enemy - not bugs.

There was a single mirror on his wall. It was cracked and stained with rust from the frame around it that had begun to decay. He stepped in front of the mirror and checked his stolen uniform. If he was going to pass for a South Korean soldier and walk his weapons through the military check points, then every detail on his uniform had to look perfect. His counterfeit military ID looked exactly like the real thing, because it was the real thing. He had stolen the ID from a soldier who was patrolling the neutral zone. After several minutes of observing himself from top to bottom, he concluded that everything was in place.

The only way that he and his other two team members would be able to identify each other was by a particular watch they wore on their wrists. The watch was black with red straps that had the Ramhongsaek Konghwaguki printed on the bottom near the closure. It was bold to wear their county’s flag while dawning the enemy’s uniform, but the uniforms were the only way to slip into South Korea without drawing suspicion. Once through the border, the three of them had to immediately make their way to the botanical gardens where the President’s speech was to take place.

Considering that both the Secretary of State from America and the President of South Korea would be in attendance, security was going to be heightened to the highest level. But Wong was not worried because they had a solid breech plan. No one would ever see them coming.

Wong took one final look around his small apartment. The place was so cramp that his twin sized bed barely fit. It was crammed against the wall with only four feet of clearance between the bed’s edge and his front door. There was a small table with a hot plate and a single shared bathroom down the hall. That was it, that was the extent of his meager existence.

He wondered if he would ever return to the small apartment again. Part of him wanted to return victorious as an undisputed hero. But part of him hoped, secretly prayed, that he would be killed during the mission and never have to suffer poverty and neglect again.

Life or Death was irrelevant.

***

Meanwhile in Seoul, South Korea...

Prime Minister Kim Namjoon made his way to the security briefing room. It was the literal nerve center of the 청와대 Cheong Wa Dae – also known as the Blue House. Since 1939, the Blue House had served as the Executive office and primary residence of the President of South Korea. Prime Minister Kim’s office and a few other government agencies were located within the cluster of buildings nestled in historic Jongno-gu, the capital of Seoul. Even though Cheong Wa Dae was the very essence of traditional Korean architecture, the digital age of technology was still craftfully embedded within its ancient walls. The traditional Korean palace with the signature blue roof was the most protected residence in all of Asia.

Cheong Wa Dae was built upon the site of the royal garden of the Joseon Dynasty in 1939. And in 1968 a bid by the North Koreans to assassinate the President within its walls was narrowly thwarted. Never before had such a bold attack been perpetrated, and the attempt served to deepen the divide between the two opposing nations that shared the peninsula. It was a day that lived forever in the minds of the people of South Korea, making the Cheong Wa Dae not just a symbol of democracy, but also a symbol of freedom.

Upon arriving at the security briefing room, Prime Minister Kim took one step inside before immediately folding into a bow before President Ahn Young-Hee, “You called for me, sir?”

The Prime Minister looked around the circular room. A large sphere shaped skylight hovered overhead, just above the large round table that typically would have been filled with security staff, assistants and military personnel. But the Prime Minister found it a bit creepy for a room that was typically buzzing with activity, to be completely evacuated. Just he and the President remained.

The President lifted to his feet and smiled, “Ah Prime Minister, good to see you. I assume your Chief of Staff explained to you why you’re here?”

“Not exactly, sir. There seems to be quite a bit of secrecy around this unplanned meeting. If you don’t mind me asking, what was so urgent that you couldn’t have delivered the news via our standard morning briefing?”

“Have a seat Prime Minister,” President Ahn Young-Hee stood to the side and motioned for Kim Namjoon to situate himself at the table.

As Prime Minister Kim shuffled his feet over the diagonal patterns on the thin blue carpet, he once again took note of how empty the room felt. The echo of their voices against the barren walls, made the conversation appear much louder than it should have been.

The table was large enough to seat twenty of the President’s most trusted staff, however with just the two of them present, Prime Minister Kim made a calculated decision to sit as close to the President as possible, to lessen the distance between them. His eyes fell upon a steaming hot cup of coffee that sat on the table. He correctly assumed that was where the President was sitting. He chose the seat right next to it. The President reclaimed his seat shortly thereafter.

Prime Minister Kim continued to look around the room. He could not deny that the circumstances of the meeting made him nervous. Even though he and President Ahn considered themselves good friends and even though they were fishing buddies and coworkers as well as political running mates, Prime Minister Kim was still intimidated by him.

President Ahn was not just any President. He was a bit of a superstar. Not only was he the youngest President to hold the office in Korea’s history, but he was also the most successful and fearless. He was a principled man, not a conniving politician. He had deeply held beliefs that guided his leadership and he insisted upon a pristine and highly principled administration. Bad seeds were plucked out immediately and dealt with harshly. He was not afraid to make examples of those who betrayed their values and brought shame to the country. President Ahn loved South Korea deeply and protected it like a pit bull. He was afraid of no one.

He had many allies, but sadly, just as many enemies. His strong stance in support of the United States, Japan, and independence for Hong Kong ruffled many feathers amongst his neighboring Asian countries. His most troublesome neighbor, North Korea, was at the front of the line of countries working to get him out of office. The man was powerful, passionate, and determined. He never backed down, yet he was the king of compassion and compromise. A loving father and husband, his softer side never contradicted his hard political stance. His duality was congruent.

Above all, President Ahn understood world affairs. He understood history and how it affected the future. As if he had a crystal ball, he understood the world stage and the important interactions between countries. He knew how to gain momentum behind his ideas. Top of his class at Seoul National University, he was a force all through college, military and then politics.

Prime Minister Kim had served under President Ahn for many years. He marveled at the knowledge that he gained under the President’s tutelage. They worked hand and hand together. At times, Prime Minister Kim couldn’t help but feel as if he were being groomed to one day take over the Presidency. However, it was not a job that the Prime Minister wanted. He was happy to serve at the President’s leisure as Prime Minister, but any political goals above that were – questionable.

As the two men took their seats and turned towards each other, Prime Minister Kim could immediately sense that something was off. Kim Namjoon dispensed with protocols and immediately quipped, “What is it? Please just tell me. I don’t like anything about this meeting. And judging from the absence of staff, I fear that you want to talk to me on a more personal level...which means...not good news.”

President Ahn leaned forward with a concerned look, “Today we will officially announce the beginning of joint military exercises with the United States. This round of exercises will go on for about twenty four months, the longest we’ve ever engaged with the Americans. We’ll have defensive and computer simulated command post training and a few live field training drills.”

“We’re moving forward with this? Despite the threats from North Korea?” PM Kim questioned.

“Yes, we are,” President Ahn replied, almost defiantly.

“You know that the North Koreans will consider this a threat. With all due respect Mr. President, why would we risk the productive talks that we’ve been having with Pyongyang? They’ve already accused of us having perfidious behavior for engaging in these exercises in the past.”

The President leaned back in his chair and sipped at his hot coffee, “Call me a dreamer Prime Minister Kim, but I can visualize a day when the Korean peninsula is completely denuclearised with long lasting peace. There are 28,000 American soldiers who have inhabited our country since 1953 and frankly, I’m ready for them to go home. I have no intention of giving up on the talks with the North or intentionally provoking President Min Ong Jung, but at the same time, I will not allow them to continue lobbing missiles over the heads our citizens. They are becoming more emboldened with each day that we don’t stand up to them. I don’t like bullies Prime Minister. We must take a stand and show that we mean business. These joint exercises have been going on for years. I fear that the previous administration was weak with halting the joint exercises just to appease President Min. But now, under my watch, we must show strength and unity with our allies. Our moment of weakness ends today.”

Prime Minister Kim rubbed his temples. If there was anything that gave him comfort, it was that President Ahn was a brilliant strategist. Ahn understood the human mind, human interactions and the art of war – or more precisely - the art of avoiding war.

Although he agreed with the President’s about taking a less passive stance against President Min, PM Kim also appreciated the volatility of the situation, especially when dealing with an egotistical dictator such as President Min of North Korea.

“I hate bullies too. I realize this isn’t a matter that needs to be put to a vote with the National Assembly, but have you spoken with ROKN? NATO? Or the Tactical Warfare Commission? Any of them?” Prime Minister Kim queried.

“Of course I’ve sought counsel from my most trusted advisors. And NATO has given their full support. Prime Minister, I realize that this isn’t an Oligarchy, we are a democracy and a proud one at that. We make strategic, agreed upon decisions. In this case, the entire team is in full agreement. We will proceed with the joint exercises with the U.S. and we will not be intimidated by threats.”

Prime Minister Kim knew this, but it was his job as Prime Minister to challenge his President whenever such a critical decision was being made with such potentially dangerous consequences.

“Ok, if you’re sure this how we want to proceed, I’ll address my staff and give them the news. I assume this announcement is going to be a large part of the speech you plan to give today at the botanical gardens?”

“It is.” President Ahn smiled, but the deep creases within his face revealed a troubled heart.

PM Kim took notice, “Now can we please get to the truth of why you called me here? We both know that the news of the military exercises could have been sent over to me in a briefing. What is it Mr. President?” Kim leaned in and touched President Ahn gently on the forearm.

“You know me too well. It’s all that pool we played together while we were in Jinhae as soldiers,” The President said grimly. “You can read my thoughts before I speak them.”

PM Kim countered, “No, it was all of the poker. Your poker face sucks sir...with all due respect.”

President Ahn laughed, “You’ve got me there.” He took a deep breath, “Namjoon?”

Kim Namjoon’s heart sank. It was not a good sign that the President was calling him so informally. Whatever the news was that he had to deliver, it was bad.

“What is it sir?” He urged the President to share whatever was troubling his heart. The anxiety of not knowing was knawing at Kim’s stomach.

“Namjoon, there has been a credible threat made against my life,” President Ahn said it all with one hearty breath. After uttering the words, he seemed relieved to have it off of his chest.

“Yes, but there are often threats made against the President. That comes with the job.” The Prime Minister attempted to laugh it off.

“True,” the President countered, “but this threat is coming from a more credible source, possibly the North Koreans. They are taking these joint exercises with America as a personal attack on President Min. Just as you said before, they feel threatened.”

“We have some of the best Presidential Security Service agents in the world. No one will ever get within 30 miles of you,” Prime Minister Kim laughed and gave the President a hearty pat on the shoulder to reassure him.

“Yes. You are correct. My President’s Detail have me very well protected, but we still must remain vigilant. Security Service will brief you later today, but effective immediately, we are not to travel together or even be seen together unless absolutely urgent. Your security detail will be stepped up as well as mine. Shin and Ae-Che will also receive additional guards.” President Ahn looked upon his Prime Minister with a face full of guilt, “Namjoon, you have made tremendous sacrifices to hold this office. I know that we implemented Project Tiger when you and I were elected and I know that I promised that we would eventually end it this month. But the circumstances have changed. We’re in more danger now than we were six years ago when this first started. Just a little longer Namjoon. I promise. We need to be on solid footing with North Korea and we need to flush out the dissidents who’ve threatened my life. Our Presidential Security Service team already have good leads and believe they have identified the people behind the plot. This is almost over.”

And there it was; the gut punch that Namjoon had been waiting for. The news that Project Tiger would extend into the unforeseeable future. Namjoon dropped his head and placed his forehead in his hand. His gaze fell downward and he remained quite still. He took a few moments to process the discouraging news and then rebounded as only a seasoned politician could.

“Understood. Whatever you feel is best sir. Given the news that you’ve just shared, I have to agree. Project Tiger should continue.” Namjoon smiled.

Project Tiger was a top secret initiative that was so confidential that not even the President’s staff knew about it, not even his Presidential Detail. It was an operation spearheaded by President Ann with approval from Presidents as far as two terms prior. Namjoon suddenly understood why the President had completely cleared the room in the Blue House just to discuss it. The topic was highly explosive. It was a secret so incredible that if anyone on either staff discovered it, the entire government could crumble under the public outcry of mistrust. The President turned to Prime Minister Kim with the intention of saying a few more words about the matter, but he was interrupted.

Just before he was about to speak, his Chief Security Officer stepped quietly into the room, “Excuse me Mr. President. It’s time to head to the botanical gardens for your speech.”

“Already?” President Ahn stood to his feet and looked at his watch. “Time sure flies when you’re talking to an old friend.” He gave the Prime Minister a large smile and a hearty pat on the back. “I have the best security on the globe.” He gestured towards the large burly man who was standing at the door. “Don’t you worry about me. But – Namjoon.” Once again, he called the Prime Minister by his first name. It was definitely ominous. “I need you to stand ready, always, all the time. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. You are my predecessor and if...if...if the worst happens, the nation will call upon you to lead. LEAD Namjoon, without fear, without remorse, without equivocation. I chose you as a running mate for a reason. You are only 36 years old, but you are by far, the most intelligent and politically astute man I have ever met. You have learned under my wing and you have proven yourself of the highest moral ilk. I am so very proud of the steps you have taken, but I need you to always be ready to take that next step.”

“Is this supposed to be a pep talk cause I gotta’ be honest, you are really killing my buzz,” the Prime Minister joked. “Stop with the over dramatic foreshadowing,” Namjoon crinkled his nose and flashed his pin point dimples. “I have no intention of filling your shoes anytime soon. Executing dismissive protocol.” The Prime Minister snapped his heels together and gave the President a military salute.

The PM wanted to get as far away from the morose conversation as possible. President Ahn was not just Kim Namjoon’s leader, but he was also a very good friend. He was a man that Namjoon had admired since his youth and he was proud to serve under him. But hearing all of his dire warnings and cryptic, coded grumblings was too much.

PM Kim stood to his feet and was greeted by his own team of Security Service agents. They stood around him in formation as he gave the President a quick but meaningful hug. A few moments later, they whisked the Prime Minister away. With the latest threats against the president, the terror threat for the country had been elevated to orange which was the second to highest threat level in all of Korea. Officially from that point on, the President and the Prime Minister were no longer allowed to occupy the same room – it was just too risky.

“Good luck with your speech Mr. President,” Kim Namjoon called as he was escorted down the hall.

***

“Agent Jeon, what about this one?” Shin appeared in the hallway again wearing yet another dress.

Agent Jeon Jeongguk could feel the steady pulse of a persistent headache begin to grow in his left orbital space. With each wardrobe change from Ahn Shin-lee, the pain increased.

“It looks just like the last one Shin. Please just pick one so we can go. If we’re late, we could throw off the entire security detail,” thirty year old agent Jeon Jeongguk advised.

“Buuuuuut if I arrive looking like a troll, that could be just as devastating. It could literally start a war,” Seventeen year old Shin explained, “now pick ONE!” Shin demanded like the teenage brat she was.

Jeongguk’s patience battery was drained empty. He snapped at her, “I am a highly trained and decorated Security Service agent. My job is to protect you Shin, not to pick dresses. That is not in my skill set. Please, pick a dress and let’s go. We’re already two minutes late getting you to the limo,” Agent Jeon said forcefully.

“Highly trained and decorated huh?” Shin doubled over laughing, “Then why do you have the first – daughter’s detail? That’s right, you’re so highly decorated that they stuck you protecting a teenager. I’m like the LEAST important member of this family. That doesn’t sound too highly trained and decorated to me. Sounds like you just suck,” Shin laughed.

Jeongguk bit his tongue – literally. He had a mindful of words that he wanted to drop on the teenage brat, but speaking to the President’s daughter in such a way would have surely cost him his job. Even though she was just a kid, her insults hurt. He gritted his teeth and made one last declaration, “Pick a fucking dress. You have three seconds. If you don’t pick a fucking dress, I will throw that ugly ass curtain over you and carry you to your father’s speech kicking and screaming wearing polyester drapes with big purple roses. Now that will definitely cause a war. Plus you’ll be the laughing stock of Joongdong High School. Now get your ass dressed and let’s go!”

Jeongguk knew that his words were a bit harsh, but negotiating with Shin wasn’t always teddy bears and roses. She had terrible mood swings and at times was just a plain loony bird. And sometimes he had to resort to punitive tactics to get her attention. For four years he had been the leader of her security detail. She was the President’s only child and the apple of his eye, but for agent Jeon she was often an insufferable pain in the ass. He felt badly for berating her, but it worked. Shin often needed a good stern reality check to remind her who was in charge.

As Shin often eluded, she never felt that her detail was particularly important. But in Jeongguk’s eyes, it was the most important job that he could have. Protecting someone’s child was a great honor and he had been chosen to protect the President's legacy.

Watching over Shin was not a typical Security Service assignment, however. She was definitely a typical teenager who did typical teenage things. But even at her most carefree moments, Jeongguk never allowed her security to be compromised. There were times when he had to drive her and her loud friends to McDonalds to get American fries and hamburgers. There were times when he had to wear swimming trunks with his gun strapped around his chest, just so that he could protect her as she frolicked in the pool. There were even times when he had to help her with her homework.

Even though the first daughter’s safety was important, resources were strained. Agent Jeon only had one person reporting to him for Shin’s detail and that was Agent Timothy Lu.

Agent Lu and Agent Jeon worked together for four years, keeping watchful eyes over the teenager as she attended movies, school debates, sporting events, even dates. It was awkward guarding a teenage girl, but one thing was for certain, no one dared bother her. And the boys in her life were always on their best behavior.

For the very rigid and humorless Jeon Jeongguk, making friends with the bratty teen was not at the top of his list of priorities. But somehow, over time, she broke through his rough exterior and they were able to be cordial, even friendly. She became his little sister. Still for Jeongguk, it was all about business. Despite their friendship, he looked upon Shin as an assignment. Being part of the teen’s detail was often annoying and reductive but, Agent Jeon did his job without a single complaint.

Within three seconds Shin was back in the hallway, wearing a light blue silk dress. She swung her purse over her shoulder and snarled at Agent Jeon as she walked past him.

“I’m ready asshole. Let’s go,” she rolled her eyes and headed towards the limo that was parked outside.

Jeongguk spoke into a mic that was chorded around his wrist and hidden just beneath the sleeve of his black suit jacket. The wires from the speaking device wrapped around his chest, underneath his dress shirt, and emptied out into a speaker box that was attached to the back of his slacks.

“Baby Goose is on the move. Please pull the car around. ETA about 2 min.”

“Affirmative Agent Jeon,” the limo’s driver confirmed the pick-up.

As they stepped outside, Agent Jeon drew his gun. With the entire country in code orange, everything was escalated including the protocols for the protective detail. He walked close to Shin with his Glock 47 locked and loaded. He held the gun tightly in both hands, with his arms pulled into chest. The barrel of the Glock was pointed towards the sky in ready position. All eyes were on his protectee, Ahn Shin-lee. He scanned left and right with a quick eye check towards the exit to make sure that his additional agents were in place.

Even Shin understood the seriousness of a country being in code orange. With no delay, she hustled herself into the backseat of the limo. Agent Jeon’s partner, Agent Lu, guarded the limo from the rear. Once they were securely in the vehicle, Agent Lu gave the top of the limo several hard taps with his palm to signal it was clear to drive off. The limo sped away, headed towards the opposite wing of the Blue House grounds, where it was scheduled to rendezvous with the President and First Lady so they could all ride together to the botanical gardens.

Shin looked down and played on her phone as she sat across from Agent Jeon. She crossed her thin legs and slumped over as her petite undersized body was dwarfed by her seatbelt.

“You are important,” Jeongguk said quietly as he and Shin rode in resentful silence.

“No I’m not,” Shin argued.

“You’re the most important. You’re the President’s daughter; the person he loves more than anyone in the world. If you’re not safe, he can’t be free to lead our Country. If someone ever harmed you, that would surely start a war – not your dress.”

“I guess.” Shin gave a small grin which she attempted to hide.

“You also picked the best dress. That green one was ugly,” Jeongguk added.

“HEY asshole! You said you weren’t qualified to pick dresses,” Shin slapped Agent Jeon hard on the shoulder.

“I’m not. But you don’t have to be qualified in anything to know that green dress was ugly. I think my great grandma has that same dress. Yuck.”

Shin exploded in laughter. “Ooooookay then. Green dress is going in the trash as soon as I get home.” She giggled a bit more before apologizing, “Hey Agent Jeon – sorry about that joke I made about you not being a good Security Service agent. You really are the best and...thanks for not letting me die and stuff.”

Jeongguk smiled. He knew that Shin was being a typical teenage brat when she insulted him earlier, but the apology did make him feel better. “Yeah well no one is allowed to die and stuff on my watch. I simply won’t allow it.”

***

The conference room in the basement of the Korean National Police of Seoul was cramped. On a typical day the room was large enough to fit about thirteen officers. But on this day, over twenty five officers were crammed into the single room as they waited for the Senior Superintendent to call out their target assignments for the President’s visit to the botanical gardens.

The team of officers all fanned themselves and wiped away sweat as they threw out complaint after complaint about the temperature in the small space.

“Hurry up SS, it’s hot in here,” Sergeant Gi yelled from the back.

“SS if you don’t finish the damn assignments I swear I’m going to get naked. I would feel much better if I were just naked. It’s hot as a snake’s ass in here,” Sergeant Park added to the echo of complaints.

Senior Superintendent Mi-Seon was still processing Jimin’s threat to get naked, “Keep your fucking clothes on Park. I swear to God...,”

“Snakes don’t have asses, Park,” Gi countered.

“They have to have asses. They poop don’t they?” Senior Inspector Long from the fifth precinct added his unsolicited opinion.

“Exactly! All God’s children have asses,” Sergeant Park argued again.

“But how do you know the temperature of a snake’s ass?” Senior Inspector Jung questioned.

“Just finish the assignments! We can’t breathe. There’s too much competing breath. My breath is not winning!” Sergeant Park feigned exhaustion and fell across the small student desk in front of him. “It’s hot as fuck!”

“I’m 100% positive we’re breaking the fire code,” Gi added. “Why are there so many officers needed for this assignment anyway?”

Mi-Seon snarled, “Oh my God you’re a bunch of whiny little bitches.” He was sweating profusely and large dollops of sweat were trailing down the back of his neck into the collar of his police uniform. “Ok, uhh where was I – oh yes, Senior Inspector Kim, you’ll take the east tower closest to the daisy exhibit.”

“Aye Sir,” Senior Inspector Kim agreed.

“Sergeant Gi, you’ve got the top of the west parking garage that overlooks the podium. You’ll have the President in your sight at all times. You’re lead on the assignment.”

“Sergeant Park, you’ll be stationed on the rooftop of the Mondrian Hotel as back up for Kim and Gi.”

Upon hearing his assignment, Sergeant Park’s hand shot up immediately, “Um yeah so I have a question.”

“Of course you do,” the Senior Superintendent Mi-Seon rolled his eyes.

“Of course he fucking does,” Sergeant Gi teased.

Sergeant Park continued, “Gi and Kim both had GT scores of 91, my score was 110. So why again am I being pushed to the rooftop of a building five miles away instead of being stationed on top of the President?”

“The betrayal!” Gi yelled. “Did you just out my score?”

The entire room broke into laughter.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Sergeant Park remarked.

“What does that even mean? You are really testing the boundaries of our best friend status,” Gi flirted.

Senior Superintendent Mi-Seon lectured them all like children, “Listen up. I don’t make the assignments. I just call them out. We are on orders directly from the fucking President of South Korea. If you want to fucking complain about where you’re being fucking placed, then take it up with the fucking Chief Super. This is already a shit show. We’ve been called in last minute to assist with a very understaffed Security Service crew for the President’s detail. Even the fucking military has been called in to help because - in case you didn’t know - we are in a code fucking orange. Our neighbors over there are sending missiles left and right towards the sea of Japan and we’re caught in the fucking middle of it. So stop your fucking complaining and accept your fucking assignments in peace. I’m going to go get drunk as soon as I’m done with you fucking assholes.”

Sergeant Park snickered under his breath. He smiled adoringly at Mi-Seon then leaned over to Sergeant Kim, “I never knew old people used the word ‘fuck’ so much."

Everyone around Park who heard the comment, burst into loud laughter.

Senior Superintendent Mi-Seon was an old man. He’d been with the Korean National Police since the age of 21. Now at the age of 60, his days with the agency were numbered as he looked towards retirement. He was pale, underweight, over worked, and ill-tempered and he did not have time for bullshit.

Even though Sergeant Park admired him like a second father, he made it his personal mission to poke the old man at every opportunity.

But there was something else between Sergeant Park and Superintendent Mi-Seon that bonded them. Quiet as it was kept, Superintendent Mi- Seon was the best Sniper in all of Korea. He received promotion after promotion for his wicked marksmanship. But as his profile grew within the academy, he was forced out of the field and became a desk jockey for the latter part of his career. Rare was it for Mi-Seon to work in the trenches, even though he was still the hottest gun in town at the ripe age of 60.

As Park Jimin rose through the ranks of the police academy, Mi-Seon took an interest in Sergeant Park’s particular skill with rifles. The moment they met, they instantly appreciated each other. It didn’t take long for the two of them to forge a friendship because Mi-Seon quickly deemed Sergeant Park as worthy of being his heir-apparent. He taught the young officer everything he knew about being a sniper and Jimin learned the lessons well.

So when thirty-two year old Park Jimin braggadociously broadcasted his scores on the General Technical score for the Vocational Aptitude Battery Shooting Exam, he was not lying. He’d received one of the highest scores in the history of the Seoul police department.

Park Jimin was officially the best sniper in the country, overtaking even Mi-Seon, and the cocky Sergeant knew it.

Accordingly, he was not particularly fond of providing cover as “back up” for anyone. He felt, rightfully so, that he’d earned the right to be a standout in the academy and he was eager to get promoted for his talent.

But there was more to Sergeant Park’s angst. At the core of his complaint about the assignment was the fact that he resented being pulled into action for the President. For his own very personal reasons, he preferred to stay far, far away from that responsibility. There were too many politics involved and too many people jockeying for supremacy. Politicians were always full of secrets and many of them could not be trusted. He resented them using the power of the KNP to cover for their shortcomings.

As the room full of officers grew crankier by the minute, the complaints grew louder forcing Mi-Seon to read the remaining assignments at lightning speed. The group of twenty five men and women included five snipers, thirteen uniformed officers and seven plain clothed undercover officers. It was a huge drain on the department’s resources to have so many officers deployed to a single location at one time, but they had no choice. The orders had come straight from the President’s Detail.

Another tidbit that bothered Jimin was the location of the venue. All of South Korea was under a code orange alert, so holding an event outside in the botanical gardens didn’t make sense. Jimin had concerns. He was in no position to question anything, but he wondered who had given the ok for such an event. Yes, it was true that snipers would be stationed in a 360 degree diameter surrounding the President’s podium, but still there were so many risks. Strategically it was a nightmare for a Security Service unit that was already understaffed. In Jimin’s opinion, it would have made much more sense to hold the speech inside in an enclosed building that could be controlled.

Were they really complicating their protective detail just so the President could have a fancy backdrop of rare hybrid Juliet roses behind him? It seemed like poor planning. But since Jimin was not in charge, he had no say in the matter. He decided to accept his assignment as a backup and shut up.

Finally after thirty minutes, Mi-Seon finished reading off the assignments. As the crew headed to their patrol cars, Jimin’s phone rang. He smiled when he saw Lana’s picture pop up.

“Hello there.”

“Hi Park Jimin,” Lana giggled hysterically.

“Stop that.” Jimin said sternly, “What happened to Appa, that still works you know.”

“Appa. I have to ask you something,” Lana did not linger.

“Anything sweetheart,” Jimin pulled the phone away from his ear and spoke, “Put me on face time.”

Ten year old Lana did as she was instructed, “HI!” she said loudly. “What cha’ doin’?” Lana was laying on her stomach on a bean bag while her caregiver, Stephanie, folded laundry on the couch behind her.

“I’m working. I work for a living. You should try it. It could definitely help pay for all of your 80s paraphernalia.”

“Mmmm, no thanks,” Lana giggled.

“Baby, what do you need?”

“Well Appa - ” Lana strung the word out slowly pronouncing every syllable as she teased Jimin, “I heard a rumor that you’re protecting the President. Is that true?”

Jimin ducked around the corner into the men’s restroom, “How did you hear about this baby?”

“I saw it on the news. They said the KNP of Seoul was assisting with security. What does this mean Appa?”

“You shouldn’t be watching the news Lana. It’s too much for a kid your age.”

“Please don’t patronize me. I’m ten years old. I can handle the news. Now please tell me what does this mean? Why are you being pulled into the President’s Detail? Is something happening?” Lana was focused and unrelenting.

“We’re just helping out Lana. It’s not a big deal,” Jimin tried to reassure her.

“Why is the nation in a code orange?” Lana quickly followed up.

Jimin rolled his eyes. Why did his sweet little one always ask such tough questions, “There are some threats against the country...but it’s being handled. The President is safe. The Prime Minister is safe. There is nothing to worry about and our county’s leaders have got this under control.”

“Appa, are the President and the Prime Minister together?”

“I don't know. They’re safe, don't worry. Our nation is safe baby. You have to trust me,” Jimin had a difficult time keeping up with his very intelligent ten-year old and her very intelligent questions. He wasn’t exactly sure why she had chosen that particular line of questioning, but he had an idea.

“Promise me that you’re safe,” Lana whispered, voice low and full of stress.

“I’m safe. I’m the one with the gun remember?” Jimin joked.

“Promise me that if anyone tries to hurt anyone else, that you’ll take them out,” Lana said bitterly.

“Take them out? Where did you learn that?” Jimin laughed.

“Television. It means to kill someone.”

“I know what it means, but you shouldn’t know what it means. We may have to remove the television.”

“I’ll just watch it on my phone. I’m smarter than you dude. Plus you’re kind of old, you don’t know what kids do these days,” Lana teased.

“I’m 32. In what world is that old?” Jimin quipped.

“In my world that is ooooooold,” Lana retorted.

“Point taken. Can we end this conversation now?” Jimin rolled his eyes again.

“I love you – dad.”

“I love you too princess. I’ll see you tonight when I get home.”

“Promise?”

“Promise what?” Jimin looked into Lana’s eyes as she stared at him through her phone screen. Black rimmed glasses magnified her pupils.

“That you’ll come home? And get everyone else home too?” Lana explained.

“Oh Lana. Of course I promise, what kind of question is that?”

“I don’t feel good about this Appa. It’s an important question.”

Without hesitation Jimin responded, “Yes Lana. I promise I’ll be home.”

***

The head of the President’s Detail was a man named Gwan Han-Gyeol. He was a fifteen year veteran with the Security Service and had served at the behest of three different Presidents for three full terms. He was highly respected and revered as one of the best agents in the Presidential Security Service Agency or PSS.

Agent Gwan didn’t take chances which was why everyone was surprised to learn that he agreed to the President’s request to give his speech on the grounds of the Seoul Botanical Gardens. The place was a Security Service nightmare with large structures blocking the paths, hotels towering over the grounds and multiple parking decks.

But what most did not know was that Gwan Han-Gyeol was not the one who had approved the President’s speaking engagement. In fact, he had fought it with all of his might, even threatening to quit if the President insisted on going through with it. But in the end, the President got his way and Agent Gwan never submitted his resignation. The President was adamant that he had to show fearlessness in the wake of the threats against him. He was not going to allow foreign opposition to make him afraid in his own country. Holding the state of the nation speech in the botanical garden was as much a show of bravery as it was defiance.

The President’s confidence didn’t ease the tension amongst his staff, however. Everyone was on edge. Many of the Security Service agents had been camped out for weeks in the various hotels and office buildings around the botanical gardens, scoping out the area, planting listening devices, installing surveillance cameras and planning ingress and egress routes. The hotels were crawling with AI bots and K-9 dogs who searched cars and hotel lobbies for suspicious devices. Everything was done in anticipation of the President’s arrival.

Agent Gwan had been up for hours reviewing the plan. He knew by memory where every single agent, officer, sniper, and military guard was stationed. In total, there were over 150 bodies assigned to the protection of the President, the First Lady and the First Daughter. Each member of the first family had their own individual detail.

Agent Gwan was assigned to the President. Along with twelve other Security Service agents, he led the Chief officer’s detail with the President as his protectee. His responsibility was to physically guard him as he stepped into the open. He was also the boss in charge of the entire operation. He gave the orders, he controlled the flow of the events, and he dictated the movement of all Security Service Agents under his command.

The First Lady was guarded by Nia Ko, the first female agent to be assigned Presidential duties for the Security Service Agency. Nia had a crew of three who worked with her to protect the First Lady wherever she traveled both home and abroad.

And lastly, the First Daughter Shin, was protected by Security Service Agent, Jeon Jeongguk with his assistant Timothy Lu.

Security Service agents worked in silos. With few exceptions, they wore blinders, because the only person they were focused on serving was their protectee. No matter what was going on around them, their job, their ONLY job was to protect the person they were assigned to. This meant that even if the President himself were under attack, the agent guiding the First Lady was obligated to ignore the President and save the First Lady. It was a tried and true technique that worked well because it lessened the burden around what an individual detail was expected to do. The rules were clear cut and there were no exceptions.

At least there were never supposed to be any exceptions.

***

President Ahn, First Lady Ahn and First Daughter Ahn all traveled together to the botanical gardens. The limo that was designed specifically for the President was made of bullet proof steal, bullet proof glass and bullet proof mirrors. It was like traveling in an underground bunker on wheels. Rumor had it that the customized limo would even survive a nuclear attack if one were to hit. Once the President and his family were all inside of the limo, it became the one place where Agent Gwan could relax and catch a breath because he knew they were safe.

While Agent Gwan traveled in the limo with the First Family, Agent Lu and Agent Jeon traveled in a vehicle that trailed the President as part of the Presidential motorcade. It was quite the spectacle to see scores of motorcycle police and black limousines traveling at slow speeds through the streets of Seoul towards the botanical gardens.

Shin shrieked while looking down at her phone, “Daddy! BTS is coming to Olympic stadium. Can I go to the concert?” She beamed.

“BT – what? Who?” President Ahn asked teasingly.

“DADDY! You know who BTS is, you gave them a cultural merit award just last year. Stop it!” Shin said with irritation.

First Lady Ahn intervened, “The question is does Agent Jeon want to go to the BTS concert because we all know that he’s the one who will have to suffer through it.” She laughed knowing that Jeongguk could hear their conversation through the communication devices stored inside of the President’s limo.

His voice came through the speakers in the backseat, “If that is what is required of me to do my job, then I look forward to it.”

“He’s a real joy isn’t he?” President Ahn laughed at Jeongguk’s dry emotionless reaction.

“He keeps me alive daddy. That’s pretty much all he’s got in terms of personality,” Shin teased Jeongguk again, knowing that he could hear her.

Agent Jeon did not respond. In his mind, that was not the insult she thought it was. Keeping her alive was his only concern and he was quite proud of the fact that he did it well.

As they pulled up to the rear entrance of the gardens, a team of security opened the gate and waved the President’s motorcade through.

“The Hawk will be the first out,” Agent Gwan spoke into the mic at the sleeve of his dress shirt.

Each of the President’s family members had nicknames. President Ahn was the Hawk. First Lady Ahn was Blue Cardinal and Shin was Baby Goose. Locations of the different family members were often given through the radio communication, so it was critical not to use the family’s real names. Using names of birds was Shin’s idea.

As they arrived at the location, Agent Jeon and Agent Lu jumped out of their moving vehicles and ran alongside the President’s main limo. With guns drawn, they kept a slow jogging pace next to the car as it crept along. The limo had to meander its way through the back of the gardens towards the exhibition center where the President would give his speech.

Agent Jeon and Agent Lu rendezvous with Agent Ko as they provided cover for the large vehicle. They approached the podium as Agent Gwan Han-Gyeol called out, “Showtime team. Don’t let your assignments out of your sight. Let’s get in and get out. I’ve restricted the President to only twenty minutes to give his full speech. As soon as I give you the signal, get your protectees back to the Limo and we’ll get the hell out of here. Let’s keep everyone safe. Good luck Agents.”

***

Sergeant Park jumped from the back of the large white van as it parked in the parking deck adjacent to the botanical garden. He walked to the edge of the parking deck and took a good look around to survey the buildings. His concern only grew. The area was just not secure enough to hold an outside event for the President. There were too many unknowns. He shook his head and refocused.

After walking back to the van he began to pull on his safety gear. His plain black t-shirt had the crest of the KNP embroidered on the chest pocket. His black cargo pants were amply supplied with pockets for all of his extra ammunition, scopes and Glock 480 hand guns. Per training from Mi-Seon, Jimin was prepared for anything – even if it meant his own personal war.

First and foremost he reached his arms through the tough fabric of his Kevlar bullet proof vest. He pulled it down over his chest and buckled the straps on each side. He could feel the cold steel of his police badge around his neck as the tight vest pressed the necklace into his skin.

All around him, the other snipers did just as he did; dawned their safety gear and assembled their rifles. The sniper rifles used by the Korean police department sniper team were S&T Motiv K14’s. They were powerful guns manufactured in the United States and provided to the military as part of the arms exchange program. Since many of the snipers employed by KNP were former military, it was easy to adapt to that particular long range rifle.

Jimin opened the rifle case and inspected the four large pieces that were nestled in the soft sponge lining of the valise. He carefully removed each one, screwing each piece into the other until he ended with a fully functional gun that extended almost three feet in length. The last piece that he needed to add was the scope. Jimin’s scope of choice was a long range scope with variable 20mm magnification. It was a unique match to his already rare perfect vision.

He dropped his black baseball hat over his light brown hair, and plugged his radio communication buds into his ear.

“Testing 1,2,3,” he spoke.

“I got ears on you Sergeant,” a response came from one of the surveillance vans that was parked a few blocks away.

“Good to know. I’m headed to get into position. The hotel has 29 floors and another two floors to get to the roof. It’s going to take me some time to get all the way up there. Don’t start the party without me.” Jimin joked facetiously.

He and the other four snipers scattered, all running towards their assigned positions. Calls of “good luck” and “be safe” came flooding through the radio as they encouraged each other.

KNP’s elite sniper team that had been recruited to assist the President’s detail was led by Sergeant Gi, one of Sergeant Park’s best friends. Sergeant Gi was stationed just a few meters above the President, and just like the others, his primary mission was to serve as “eyes in the sky” watching for any suspicious activity from the surrounding high rise buildings. Through the scope of his rifle, Gi surveyed every window that faced the clearing where the President was scheduled to speak. Suspicious curtain movements, random individuals who didn’t seem to belong, open windows in sight of the President – everything and anything that could pose a threat was his responsibility to detect.

The sniper crew had a unique challenge, because while the ground crew of Security Service Agents served as physical protection for the President, the snipers were responsible for monitoring threats from a distance. They had carte blanch freedom to respond with deadly force to anything that posed a threat and this was especially true in the midst of a code orange. The President himself did not have snipers as part of his team, but given the very real threat to his life, they were added as a one-time request by his lead security Agent Gwan.

Hovering just above the snipers were two ROKN helicopters. They were locked in a flight pattern that traveled between the botanical garden and Icheon airport. Their patrol of the skies was yet another precaution added by Agent Gwan.

After a ten minute adventure, Sergeant Park finally chirped through the radio, “Gi, I’m finally in position. Climbing twenty flights of stairs sucked, remind me to kick you literally in the ass when this is over,” Sergeant Park joked.

“Noted,” Gi laughed.

The President’s speech was scheduled to begin at 11:30amKST. It was already 11:20am and Jimin only had ten minutes to get set up. With is rifle skin over his shoulder, he walked to the very edge of the building and looked over the side. From his vantage point, he could see Gi, Jung and Kim all lined up just above the President’s position.

“Belly down,” Sergeant Park advised.

“Copy,” Gi responded.

Belly down meant that Jimin was literally on his belly on the rooftop of the hotel, with his gun aimed and steady as he carefully surveyed the rooftops around him. With a single eye closed, he pressed his open eye against the ocular lens of his long scope. Through the ticks of his scope measure, he could see the windows of all of the hotels that were within striking range of the President.

“What the fuck? Why are all of these curtains closed on that one floor of the hotel? Isn’t SS supposed to alert hotel security to keep everything open? We need better visuals, I can’t see shit,” Jimin complained in his radio.

Gi came back through the radio, “Need I remind you that the President’s Security Service is running this show? We’re just KNP and we have no power here. This is a favor to the President.”

Jimin didn’t like anything about the set up. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he scanned the entire venue. “Something is off. This is a total shit show.”

“SERGEANT PARK!” An angry commanding officer came through the radio, “Do I need to remind you that this is a shared radio communication? Keep your fucking comments to yourself and focus on your assignment.”

“Busted,” Gi teased.

“Shut up,” Jimin retorted.

The Commander was right. Everyone, including the President’s entire detail could hear Jimin’s criticism of their security wall. Jeongguk took a quick glance at Agent Gwan who seemed unfazed by what some KNP officer had to say about his plan. Gwan and Jeongguk’s eyes met briefly, with Jeongguk giving him a reassuring nod of encouragement. In all of Jeongguk’s years of serving with the President’s Detail, this was one of the most thorough and complete units that he’d ever seen assembled.

In Jeongguk’s opinion, whoever this Sergeant Park was, he was definitely arrogant and had no idea how official Security Service detail worked. If he felt there were inefficiencies, then he should have kept his opinions to himself, instead of popping off over the radio to the embarrassment of senior agents.

Jeongguk held his ear piece tightly against his ear as he lifted his head and scanned the rooftops, searching for the voice that belonged to the cocky asshole on the radio. Because Jimin was in belly down position, he was not visible. But the barrel of his long gun extended over the side of the building, giving Jeongguk an indication of his location.

Agent Jeon continued to survey the landscape. Even though Jeongguk had the utmost confidence in the plan that Agent Gwan put together, a few of the things uttered by the mysterious sniper on the roof concerned Jeongguk. But rather than question the seasoned veteran agent who had served the last three Presidents for 15 years, he chose to remain silent.

***

The President was ready to approach the podium. On a typical day Agent Jeon and Agent Lu would stand down in an effort to remain unnoticed by the general public. But given the unusual circumstance of the President’s outside appearance, both he and Agent Lu were stationed to stand directly in front of their protectee as they sat in the front row. The ground crew was situated with Agent Gwan, Agent Jeon, Agent Lu and Agent Ko all standing directly in front of the President’s podium. Meanwhile, another 20 agents were scattered throughout the grounds, posted in intervals that formed a 360 degree protective layer around the President.

Jimin took the opportunity to make a very important phone call.

Gi’s cell phone rang suddenly without warning. He looked down at the caller ID and answered quickly, “Are you fucking insane? The President is about to take the podium.”

“I KNOW, I KNOW,” Jimin said apologetically. “But we’ve got a lot of ears on us over the radio, so I needed to call you to say this to you in private. Gi, this set up isn’t right. I don’t like it all. Please, please keep a very close eye on the southeast corner of the Seoul Double Tree Hotel. There’s too much activity over there.”

“It’s probably one our guys. Don’t freak out on me. I’ll keep an eye on them, but we don’t need to go shooting everything that moves. Maybe that’s why I was put in charge, I’m more conservative with my bullets.” Gi laughed.

“Shut up,” Jimin smiled, “just be careful please...and Gi?”

“Yeah,”

“Never mind...just please stay alert,” Jimin implored.

“Same to you,” Gi hung up his phone.

The President, flanked by Gwan and three other Service agents, made his final approach to the podium. Jeongguk gave a small smile to Shin before giving her the thumbs up as she watched her father walk quickly to his spot. As soon as the President was in place, Jeongguk turned his back to him to monitor the audience and remain close to Shin.

The applause for the sitting President was deafening. Despite there being very limited seating within the garden, over five thousand people had showed up to hear the President’s remarks. The country looked forward with great excitement to hearing the President give his State of the Nation address that would include his commitment to resuming military alliance with the United States.

President Ahn was beloved. After only a few years in office, he’d managed to revitalize the economy, restore jobs, secure funding for the growth of Hyundai’s manufacturing plants, and push through legislation to fight global warming. His deepened commitment to NATO also positioned him as a fearless leader who stood tall against Korea’s enemies. He was the President that the country felt they deserved, especially after years of weak leadership. It only made sense that the limited seating within the garden was at max capacity with the majority of attendees choosing to stand just so they could get a glimpse of the popular President.

President Ahn lifted both arms and gave gracious waves to the crowd as they continued to cheer him on. He gently tapped the mic and began, “Greetings and good afternoon to the citizens of the Republic of Korea. This afternoon we meet as DPK, PPP and UFP alike. But I hope that on this special day we will come together to unify as simply Koreans. Let today be a day where we put our differences aside for the good of our country. Today I come to you with great news for our nation. I have made no secret of my intention of forging ahead with Korea’s alliance with the United States. As our neighbors to the North continue aggressive interactions towards us, we will stand and fight back...,”

***

Despite the gravel, dirt, broken glass and hot cement that was packed underneath him, Jimin continued to lay upon his stomach - perfectly still – almost to the point of not breathing. A gentle breeze wisped by causing him to adjust his scope .01 mm to the left. If the breeze continued, it would change the trajectory of his bullet – should shooting become necessary. Even though he had warned Gi to keep a close eye on the closed curtains of the hotel, he couldn’t help but monitor them himself. Of utmost concern was a cluster of three rooms all right next to each other. The curtains were all drawn the exact same way and every few seconds, he thought he saw them ruffle with movement. It was concerning. He made the decision to raise the alarm.

“Gi? Got your ears on?” Jimin spoke over the open radio so the entire team could hear, “I see something that I don’t like.”

“You always do. What is it Sergeant Park? Hotel freaking you out again?” Gi quickly turned the magnified scope of his rifle towards the closed curtains. He knew Jimin’s concern before Jimin even had a chance to speak it. “I see a little movement, but nothing concrete. Could just be kids or something?”

“Yeah. But notice how oddly the curtains in those three rooms are shut? They seem to be clipped closed with a close pin or something. Send a unit to check it out,” Jimin said firmly even though he was not in charge.

“Commander?” Gi relayed the message.

“Already on it. Just sent someone over there to knock on the doors. We’ll see if we can get them to open the curtains so that baby Park over there will quit his bitching.”

Gi began to speak again, “Commander...,” and then the sound of a hollow whistle, followed by a single pop echoed through their earpieces. Mid-sentence, Gi’s voice went quiet.

His Commander called to him, “Gi? Gi?”

A fellow officer who was nearby laughed into the radio, “Hey, don’t leave us hanging dude, finish your sentence.”

Jimin however, did not laugh. “Did you fucking hear that? It was a gun shot with a silencer from a long range riffle. He’s been shot, it was a fucking gunshot! GI? GI? Are you hit? Answer?” Jimin jumped to his feet, leaving his rifle on the ground. He looked around feverishly, trying to spot Gi’s location. He found him. Not only was Gi down, but so were Jung and Kim. Someone had taken out almost the entire team of snipers, right under their noses.

Jimin took two steps to his right and then all hell broke loose. The curtains to the three mysterious hotel rooms were now open and all three windows were busted out. A military shoulder launcher was peeking through one of the windows with sniper rifles pointed through the other two.

A fireball the size of a semi-truck exploded from the lobby twenty floors beneath Jimin's feet. The sound was so loud that he momentarily heard ringing in his ears. The entire building shook, throwing Jimin back two feet and knocking him hard to the ground. He barely got a word into the radio before the attack began.

Everything happened all at once. The agents surrounding the President were confused by the chatter as Jimin tried to warn of gunshots being fired. Agent Gwan, upon hearing the explosion, lunged towards the President to get him into the limo, but his body was suspended as a bullet from an unknown source embedded into the center of his forehead. It then exploded through the back of his head, splattering brain matter all over the stage. He fell face forward, slamming into ground. Simultaneously, Nia Ko ran to cover the first lady. But before she could get to her, another bullet pierced the back of her head sending her falling at the First Lady’s feet. Just as quickly as the first two bullets were spent, a third barreled into the back of the first lady, piercing her heart and killing her instantly. The remaining service agents, still stunned from the explosion and confused about what was happening, came running towards the chaos, but they were too far away to help. Another bullet, this one with the President’s name written on it, sliced through the air as it made its way towards him.

They were under attack and shots were flying everywhere.

In the face of death, Jeongguk’s mind worked like a steal trap. He knew exactly what he had to do. All of the agents were down and President Ahn was left unprotected. With one hand, Jeongguk grabbed Shin in his arms and then raced towards the president. He had to get him to the ground before another round of shots came. Shin screamed and flailed as she gawked at her mother’s blood that had splashed all over her. Jeongguk ran as fast as lightening despite being hindered by Shin’s thrashing. The assassin turned his aim towards Jeongguk and Shin. Jeongguk was struck several times, but never realized it. He continued to race for the President. He barreled into President Ahn so hard that all three of them crashed to the floor of the stage with a tremendous thump. Shots continued to fly around them.

After what seemed like hours, the remaining service agents arrived to provide cover. They returned fire aimlessly because the origin of the attack was unknown. No one knew where the shots were coming from.

As Shin lay on the ground on top of her father, she screamed and screamed and screamed, “HE’S DEAD!”

Despite Jeongguk’s best efforts to get to President Ahn, he had not gotten there in time. The President had suffered a single bullet shot to the head. And whoever was behind the attack wanted to take out as many Security Service Agents as possible because they were still shooting. Jeongguk laid his entire body over Shin and the President to protect them from the never-ending flurry of bullets.

He screamed with a cracked unrecognizable voice, “THE PRESIDENT’S BEEN HIT. THE PRESIDENT’S BEEN HIT. GET AN AMBULANCE, GET AN AMBULANCE! SHIN STAY DOWN. STAY DOWN!”

“MOM, DAD! THEY’RE BOTH DEAD. THEY’RE BOTH DEAD!” Shin continued to scream. Her mother was on her back, laying in a bed of roses as her wound bled out into the dirt. Her pristine white suit was soaked completely through with death’s blood.

Shin fought with Jeongguk as he continued to cover her and hold her down. He used all of his body weight to keep her pressed into the ground as the bullets whizzed past them. The wood from the podium made a loud grating, popping sound as it was riddled with bullets. The noise pierced their eardrums. Between the screaming, trampling and loud gunshots, it was horrific. Wood splinters, bullet fragments and falling bodies were everywhere. Another six agents were taken down as they continued to suffer the attack from above.

“THE FUCKING SHOOTER IS STILL LOSE. HE IS STILL SHOOTING. WE HAVE TO GET THE PRESIDENT OUT OF HERE. FIND THE SHOOTER. WE ARE UNDER FIRE! SHOTS ARE COMING FROM ABOVE US! FIND THE SHOOTER,” Jeongguk screamed again into his earpiece.

He still fought with Shin as she kicked and screamed in hysterics. Both of her parents were dying right in front of her and no one seemed to be doing anything to help them. The attack had unfolded so suddenly that in less than thirty seconds, ten KNP officers and Security Service members had been attacked.

No one had time to react, except Jeongguk who was now beginning to feel pressure and an intense amount of heat within his back. There was also extreme pain and he was having difficulty breathing. He was so full of adrenaline that he hadn’t even noticed that he had been shot several times in the back, with one of the bullets piercing his lung. Still, he held on to Shin and the President as tightly as his bullet riddled body would allow. The darkness tried to take him, but he refused to relent. He had a duty to perform. He had to protect Shin and the President. He would not allow himself to pass out. Despite losing blood by the volumes, he held on to this protectees so tightly that all of the color drained from his fingertips. He had to protect them, it was his one and only duty. He had to protect them.

The wind picked up significantly, scattering and parting his hair at the root, as the blades of a helicopter whipped overhead. He looked to the sky as the helicopter dropped towards them and landed in the garden. Within the blink of an eye, the President was pulled from beneath him and placed on a stretcher. Amid active gun fire, the ROKN medical team took control of the President and ushered him away.

The crowd stood in shocked silence. Events were unfolding so quickly that no one really understood what was happening until members of the audience saw the bloody bodies start to fall. Slowly, like the ripples of a pond, the screams began to move through the crowd.

As the Medics loaded the President into the helicopter, the President’s personal doctor climbed on board and took over the urgent care. He sobbed when he saw the President’s wound. It was a gunshot to the head that had entered through the front and lodged within his brain. The President, for all intents and purposes, was dead. However the doctor’s job was not to make that assessment. He immediately began treating him with the hope of performing a miracle. He spoke aggressively into his radio to alert the hospital to the President’s condition.

“We are in route to your location with the President of South Korea, I repeat the President of South Korea! He has sustained a single gunshot wound to the head and another to the chest. Patient is coded, I repeat, patient is coded and unresponsive with massive blood loos. We have a large venous drip running wide open. This looks very bad and we need trauma surgeons at the ready upon landing. ETA is about three minutes.” The doctor dropped the radio to the floor of the helicopter and turned back towards the patient. The President’s eyes were still open as he gave a death stare into the abyss.

Even with the President gone, Jeongguk still tried to hold on to Shin. Bullets were still flying and she was still in danger...

***

Jimin crawled over the glass and rocks back to his rifle. His hands were cut and bleeding from where he had been knocked to the ground by the explosion. He could hear screams coming through the radio and the voice of his Commander.

“We are under attack, does anyone have eyes on where these fucking shots are coming from?” The Commander yelled into the radio.

Jimin did not respond. He already knew where the shots were coming from.

“Take him out. If you see him, you have permission to take him out. Drop back, get your 308’s and line up a fucking shot. He’s already shot the President. He must be stopped,” The Commander implored someone on his team to stop the shooter’s deadly attack.

Stressed voices came through the radio, one after the other as the sniper team and police officers on the ground finally began to understand what was happening.

The last remaining KNP sniper who had been established as backup began screaming, “I don’t see him. I don’t see him.”

Jimin dropped back to the ground and took position behind the scope of his rifle. There were three shooters hanging out of the window. They were all working simultaneously, which was why the attack was so deadly. Jimin still did not say anything. His friends were dead, but he had no time to process it. The President had been shot, but there was no time to process that either. The First Lady had been shot, but there was no time...no time. He balanced the butt of the rifle against his chest as he closed one eye and peered through his magnifying scope.

He aimed for the first shooter in the window. The noise in his headset grew louder as the screams from a frantic crowd began to fill the microphones. He placed his finger on the trigger. He knew that he could easily take two of them out, but taking out the third would likely result in a foot chase. But he had no time to process that either. He had to stop them. As he lay like a silent, deadly cobra, he could feel the heat of the sun as it burned into the black heavy fabric of his bullet proof vest. Blood trickled down his elbows from where he had crawled over the hot glass and gravel. His warm badge pressed against his sweaty chest, leaving a slight impression over his heart. Sweat dripped from the back of his neck and rolled down his back as he softly engaged the trigger.

“I have him,” he said it so quietly, so calmly, that the team barely heard him over the screams and trampling of the crowd.

He continued to pull back on the trigger, squeezing it fully to its furthest point. The bullet whistled as it exited from the hollow chamber. With a full counter clockwise rotation, it began to spin, rolling over and over on its side as it cut like a razor through the thick humid air.

“Take him out, take him out!” His cohorts continued to call out desperately.

No one except Jimin understood where the shooters were located. Based on his careful calculation of the wind speed, the bullet released at such an angle that it took only a blink for it to reach its target. The bullet buried itself cleanly into the frontal lobe of Jung Je Deuk, one of the operatives sent by the country of North Korea to carry out the assassination of the President. The man fell from the window, tumbling 20 stories to the ground.

Just as quickly as he released the first bullet, he was on to the second. As if in a trance, he aimed the muzzle of his long gun towards the second shooter who was still oblivious of what had happened to the first. Once again Jimin squeezed the trigger, sending another bullet towards his next target. This time Jimin’s bullet landed right between the eyes of Lung SeWo, the second operative who had been sent by North Korea. As the bullet entered his head, Lung’s body stiffened. He blinked a single time before a small trickle of blood dropped from the perfectly round hole in the front of his head. With a thunderous force, he fell straight back. His body stiffened as the life drained from his veins. He was dead before he hit the ground.

“Two down,” Jimin updated the entire team.

“You have him?” A Security Service officer called from the ground.

“Do you have him?” Another repeated.

“Sergeant Park what is your location? Have you engaged the shooter?” The Commander demanded.

“Shooters. Plural. Yes,” was Jimin’s only response.

There was no time for a victory celebration because the third and possibly the most lethal of the three assassins was now on the run. As Jimin surveyed him through the scope of his rifle, he could see that he was wearing a full military uniform from the South Korean military. The uniform was an exact replica, except the man inside of it was an imposter. They were also wearing very peculiar watches, Jimin could see them clearly through his scope. And judging from the emblems on the watches, they were North Korean. A team of assassins from North Korea had been sent to attack the south by killing the President. It was definitely an act of war. But again...there was no time to process any of it. His only concern was trapping the third attacker, preferably alive, so they could question him to understand his motives.

Jimin screamed into his radio, “Third suspect is on the run. Giving chase. I need back up. Suspect last seen fleeing east towards the SK Group building. He’s traveling on the roof. I need back up, helicopter surveillance if possible. Give me everything you’ve got. We can’t let him get away,” Jimin didn’t wait for a response. He threw his radio into one of the pockets of his cargo pants then stored his rifle over his shoulder by the strap and ran towards the edge of the rooftop. He had to cross three different buildings to get over to the hotel where the shooter was located. There was no time to go back down the stairs, so the only way to get from building to building - was to jump.

"FUCK!"

***

Jeongguk was rolled onto his back by another agent. Shin was pulled away by a police officer who had arrived on the scene to assist. She was placed in the back of a police car as the ambulance loaded her dead mother’s body on to a stretcher.

“The shooting stopped,” Jeongguk mumbled almost incoherently. He was on the verge of blacking out.

“Yes. The snipers took care of them. It’s still an active scene though and we’ve got to get you out of here. You’ve been shot Agent Jeon.”

“Sh-sh-shot?” Jeongguk’s teeth began to chatter. Despite the warmth of the hot sun, he was shivering uncontrollably.

“Quick, get a medic over here. He’s going into shock,” his colleague called out through the radio.

“No, I’m o – o – ok, I just need to get to the President and to Shin,” he said ridiculously. “I’m so tired though. I just-just need to c-c-close my eyes for a little bit.”

“NO! Agent Jeon! Jeongguk, Jeongguk no, do not close your eyes. Stay with me, stay with me,” the agent called out to him. But it was too late, Jeongguk had succumb to the darkness.

***

Back on the rooftop...

Jimin made his first two jumps successfully, but right before he made the third jump, he found himself under fire. He immediately took cover behind one of the cement turnbuckles on the roof. Bullets flew past his head and embedded into the cement structure in front of him. He was partially relieved to draw the fire because it meant that if the suspect was shooting, he wasn't on the move. This gave the other units a chance to catch up to him before the man disappeared.

“Under fire, under fire. Need back up now. Don’t let him get away. I’ve got him stalled, just over the SK Group. UNDER FIRE!” Jimin screamed into his radio.

***

Several media outlets who had been on the scene to cover the President’s address were beginning to broadcast live footage from scene. Images of the shooting and chaos at the botanical gardens were splattered all over the television screen. Prime Minister Kim Namjoon had the television on behind him, but the sound was muted so that he could concentrate on signing a few legislative documents. It was not until he saw an orange fireball peripherally on the television that he turned to face it. His mouth dropped open and he stood to his feet immediately. He pushed all of the papers off of his desk and threw his entire brief case as he searched frantically for the remote control to turn up the volume on the television. He finally found it and pressed it as loud as it would go.

On screen was a teary eyed reporter who looked as if she had just experienced the worst trauma of her life, yet she remained calm enough to report her story. She said in part, “South Korea’s President Ahn and the first family have been the victims of an assassination attempt. At this time, the President’s condition is not known, but witnesses believe that the First Lady has been killed. We are working to confirm that information now. This is still an active scene and the shooter is still on the loose. We’ll bring you more news on this breaking story as it develops.”

“Holy SHIT!”

Namjoon immediately picked up his phone to try to reach Agent Gwan to find out what was happening, but he did not pick up. The scene was still obviously very volatile but it was inexcusable that no one had called the Prime Minister with an update. He broke protocol and completely skipped the chain of command by calling the President’s cell phone directly. He needed to know what was going on and why no one from the Security Service had gotten in touch with him.
Suddenly there was a crash through his office door. Four armed KNP officers and another five Security Service Agents burst into the room, immediately confiscated his brief case, and briskly rushed him out.

As Namjoon fought to release himself, he demanded, “What is going on? Someone tell me right now what’s happening.”

A Security Service Agent pushed him roughly, almost lifting him from his feet, “We have to go, Sir. We have to get you to the bunker. The President has been attacked. That’s all we can tell you. We don’t know if this building is secure. We have to get you to safety. We’re in an emergency lock down procedure and...until we hear more about the President’s condition, we have to swear you in as the President of the Republic of Korea.”

The Security Service Agent that was leading the group was a senior agent who was only weeks away from retirement. The fact that he was suddenly back and once again in the lead, meant that something very serious was unfolding.

“Agent Yong, what are you doing here? Where is Agent Gwan and why hasn’t he answered my calls?”

“He’s dead, sir.” Agent Yong reported. “I hate to break the news to you like this, but it’s best you hear it from me than from the news.”

“Dead?” Despite being shoved in the back and pushed along by a team of officers who were trying to get him secured in the bunker, Namjoon managed to come to a complete halt in the middle of the hallway. “What do you mean dead? What has happened and why am I being sworn in? I need to speak to President Ahn right away. I need a full briefing of what’s going on.”

“There’s no time, sir. We have to get you to the bunker. South Korea is under attack and this is an imminent threat,” Agent Yong warned.

With that news, Namjoon allowed himself to be swept out of the building and back towards the front yard where the concrete underground bunker was located. “Project Tiger?” He asked Yong. Yong was one of only three or four people who knew about the President’s confidential operation.

“Yes,” Agent Yong replied. “We are efforting to...get you an update.”

The Prime Minister nodded. He was led into the bunker which became the President’s command center. Due to the unknown health status of President Ahn, Prime Minister Kim Namjoon was sworn in as President by the Deputy Prime Minister. The position was temporary while they all awaited news of President’s Ahn’s condition. The entire staff that was held in the underground bunker had no idea what had happened. For them there was no reason to believe that the President wouldn’t recover from his injuries. None of them knew the severity of what they were facing.

***

After several tense seconds of taking heavy gunfire, the shots finally stopped. This meant that Jimin’s suspect, Sou Wong from North Korea, was on the move again. Jimin emerged from his hiding spot returning fire but to his surprise, the man was gone. At least, Jimin thought he was gone. The frazzled Sergeant got to his feet again and resumed his pursuit. There was still one more building that he needed to clear in order to catch up with the fleeing Wong. With a hearty running start, he bounded over the edge of SK Group’s rooftop towards the ledge of the rooftop belonging to the Double Tree hotel. But in mid-flight, just before landing, the shooter appeared again. With his rifle still tucked behind him by the strap, Jimin was unable to return fire. Sou Wong unloaded his gun, hitting Jimin several times in the right leg and in the chest. The bullets to his chest were deflected by his vest. But the four shots that were aimed at Jimin’s leg, tore through his skin and bone. Jimin was lucky to have cleared the building, because as he landed, his leg completely gave way. He screamed in agony as he fell to the ground. The injuries were so great, that he couldn’t put any pressure on the leg. He lay there helpless, like a sitting duck as the assassin approached. Despite his tremendous pain, he swung his rifle around and sat upright, dragging his bloody leg along the hot gravel of the rooftop. He drew even more fire as the gunman steadily walked towards him.

Cool as an ice cube, Jimin pulled his Glock from his bloody pocket and fired twenty rounds into the man’s body. But as misfortune would have it, Wong was heavily protected by body armor. Jimin aimed as precisely as possible, but the pain in his leg was so incredible that his vision grew blurry. Still, he pulled himself steadily across the gravel, refusing to stop firing as he forced the suspect to flee towards the back end of a nearby restaurant.

Mercifully from a distance of about 10 yards away, Jimin could hear his fellow snipers enter the rooftop.

He yelled to them, “I’m hit. My femoral has been punctured and I’m bleeding bad. I need an ambulance. Repeat, I’m hit. I’m on the rooftop of the Double Tree Hotel. He shot me a few times, I’m not sure how many. Please, I need help.” Jimin’s voice was strained and gurgled. The pain from his wounds was beginning to radiate throughout his body.

Countless bullets had hit him, most landing in his chest, colliding with his bullet proof vest. And although the bullets didn’t penetrate his vest, the force from the gun shots knocked the wind out of him, making it even more difficult to breathe amidst the massive blood loss.

Shocked, dazed, and still laying on his back, he slid his hand down along the seam of his bloody cargo pants, until he reached the pocket that held his iPhone. With the last strength he had left, he dialed a number that he’d committed to memory. It was a call so necessary that he risked what would potentially would be his last moments alive, to make it. But, the call went to voicemail. He kept his message brief, “President’s been shot. I’ve been shot. Gi is dead. My wounds are bad Jojo. N-n-n-not sure if I’m going to make it. It’s all up to you now. I love you.” As soon as he released the call, his phone fell from his hand.

Silence engulfed him as he began to lose consciousness. His blood continued to puddle around him. His situation was dire.

***